273    MSfl 


CNJ 
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GIFT  OF 


anual 


PRICE,  60  CENTS 


COPYRIGHTED,  1921,  BY 

H.  E.  SIES 

POINT  LOMA,  CALIFORNIA 


DAHLIAS 


No  flower  has  made  such  rapid  progress  and 
come  into  universal  favor  to  as  great  an  extent  as 
the  dahlia  has  during  the  past  few  years. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  go  into  its  history  or 
to  treat  on  the  different  types,  but  in  as  clear  a 
manner  as  possible,  to  give  in  detail,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  beginner,  the  HOW  to  handle  his  or  her 
dahlias  from  the  planting  season  to  the  next.  They 
require  intelligent  care  and  attention,  if  the  best 
results  are  to  be  obtained. 

Preparing  the  Soil  and  Fertilizing 

Dahlias  will  grow  in  soil  that  is  almost  sand  to 
clay  or  adobe,  providing  there  is  a  sufficient  amount 
of  humus  or  plant  life  in  the  soil  for  the  plants  to 
feed  upon.  Heavy  soils  can  be  greatly  improved 
by  adding  either  sand  or  lime,  or  both,  and  working 


i 


.«  .          Jh^  soi^with  a  spading  fork  as  deep 

<:s  i i  Will  go.  Th'e;, object  is  to  get  the  ground  well 
pulverized,  Vo'Wat  "trie  thousands  of  little  fiberous 
roots  can  work  through,  getting  the  plant  food 
necessary  for  the  plants  growth  and  development. 

Where  the  soil  is  good  no  fertilizer  should  be 
used  until  the  plants  are  beginning  to  make  good 
growth. 

By  not  having  the  soil  too  rich  or  fertilized,  keeps 
them  from  growing  all  to  stalk  and  foliage.  Many 
visitors  to  my  gardens  marvel  at  how  I  keep  my 
dahlias  from  growing  so  tall. 

There  is  no  special  kind  of  fertilizer  that  is  re- 
quired to  get  the  best  results.  Fresh  chicken  manure 
worked  into  the  soil,  not  thrown  up  against  the 
base  of  the  plants,  but  scattered  evenly  over  the 
ground  for  at  least  eighte-en  inches  in  the  soil  sur- 
rounding the  plant  and  worked  in.  How  often  have 
I  seen  inexperienced  persons  pile  fertilizer  on  the 
very  tops  of  small  plants,  thinking  they  had  fertil- 
ized them.  It  does  them  just  as  much  good  as  a 
good  dinner  would  me,  just  to  have  the  privilege 
of  looking  at  it.  Plant  life  gets  only  that  part  which 
is  soluble  and  is  carried  down  into  the  ground  to 
the  roots  by  either  the  rains  or  irrigation.  Fresh 
barnyard  or  stable  manure  spread  on  the  ground 
to  the  depth  of  a  couple  of  inches,  allowing  the  rains 
or  overhead  sprinkling  to  leach  it,  carrying  the 
liquid  into  the  ground  after  which  it  can  be  worked 
into  the  soil,  care  being  used  not  to  have  the  manure 
come  into  contact  with  the  tubers  as  it  is  liable  to 
cause  them  to  have  scab.  The  liquid  from  fresh 
chicken,  sheep  or  goat  manure  is  extra  good,  but 
must  be  well  diluted  with  water.  To  prepare  the 


liquid  manure,  get  some  recepticle  suited  for  the 
purpose,  fill  it  54  full  of  manure.  The  other  Y^  with 
water;  letting  it  stand  for  one  or  two  days,  before 
using.  Stir  it  well  before  using,  adding  three  parts 
water  to  one  of  the  liquid.  It  is  advisable  to  make 
it  up  fresh  each  time  as  it  will  lose  much  of  its 
strength  if  allowed  to  stand  a  few  days.  There  can 
also  be  added  to  each  gallon  of  the  prepared  liquid 
at  the  time  of  using  one  tablespoonful  of  household 
ammonia.  This  can  be  given  once  a  week  during 
the  blooming  season,  one  quart  to  each  plant  being 
sufficient.  Do  not  give  the  liquid  manure  when  the 
ground  is  dry  but  a  few  hours  after  a  rain  or  water- 
ing. 

Bone  meal  is  very  good,  if  the  soil  is  poor,  put  in 
two  or  three  haridfuls,  to  each  plant,  thoroughly  stir- 
ring it  into  the  soil  before  planting. 

Blood  meal  is  extra  good  to  put  color  into'  the 
bloom  and  foliage;  a  small  handful  stirred  into  the 
soil  ever}'-  two  or  three  weeks  during  the  blooming 
season  should  be  sufficient. 

Chemical  fertilizers  as  a  rule  are  to  be  avoided. 
There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  use  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  will  weaken  the  vitality  of  the  tubers,  frequent- 
ly causing  them  to  decay. 

Owing  to  the  diversified  conditions  of  the  various 
soils,  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  specified  amount 
of  fertilizer  to  be  used  or  how  often,  only  close  ob- 
servation and  experience  will  solve  this  problem, 
choosing  such  fertilizers  as  are  obtainable  at  the 
least  expense,  and  will  produce  the  most  favorable 
results. 

Here  is  the  method  of  fertilizing  by  one  of  New 


Englands  most  enthusiastic  and  successful  amateurs. 
He  says  his  land  is  rich  and  nothing  is  used  at  the 
time  of  planting,  but  when  the  plants  are  about  one 
foot  high,  he  gives  each  plant  two  or  three  handfuls 
of  chicken  manure  from  the  brooder.  In  about  two 
weeks  after  this  he  works  in  two  or  three  handfuls 
of  soot  from  the  chimney,  which  is  for  color.  Then 
when  they  commence  to  bloom,  he  thoroughly  mixes 
up  four  parts  bone  meal  and  one  part  potash,  to 
each  plant  he  gives  three  good  handfuls  and  works 
it  into  the  ground.  He  says  that  if  he  could  get 
wood  ashes,  that  and  the  chicken  manure  would  be 
all  that  he  would  use.  He  has  been  highly  success- 
ful in  producing  exhibition  blooms. 

Do  not  destroy  your  rubbish  such  as  weeds,  vege- 
table tops,  leaves,  lawn  cuttings,  even  corn  stalks 
and  the  tops  of  your  dahlias.  Break  or  cut  them 
into*  short  lengths  and  spade  them  in  between  the 
dahlia  rows.  This  helps  to  conserve  the  moisture 
and  enriches  the  ground.  Then  the  following  sea- 
son, plant  the  dahlias  in  the  ground  that  was  the 
space  between  them  this  season. 

Dahlias  should'be  planted  three  feet  apart-  in  the 
row  with  a  space  of  four  feet  between  the  rows. 


Planting 


Plant  the  tubers  almost  in  a  iiorizontal  position, 
not  vertical  or  straight  up  and  down  as  nearly  all 
inexperienced  persons  do.  The  end  that  has  the  eye 
or  bud  on  (see  illustration  on  page  6)  should  be 
a  little  higher  in  the  ground.  I  plant  my  tubers  with 
a  drop  of  20%  from  the  eye  to  the  base  end.  This 


for  the  most  part  is  the  natural  position  in  which 
they  grow,  and  lessens  the  liability  of  digging  into 
them  when  cultivating  the  ground  if  you  should 
happen  to  get  too  close.  The  depth  of  the  soil  over 
the  tuber  when  planted  should  be  four  inches  from 
the  bud  to  the  top  of  the  ground. 

See  that  the  soil  is  worked  well  around  the  tuber 
and  pressed  down  with  the  hands. 

Strong  stakes  should  be  driven  in  the  holes  before 
planting  in  such  a  way  that  the  bud  will  be  close  to 
the  stake.  Do  so  in  a  uniform  manner  so  that  if 
any  of  the  tubers  should  fail  to  come  up  you  will 
know  where  to  dig  down  and  ascertain  the  cause 
without  running  any  risk  of  injuring  the  tuber,  that 
is  almost  sure  to  occur  if  you  have  to  dig  around  in 
a  haphazard  way  to  locate  it. 

Here,  I  am  able  to  procure  fence  pickets  the  shape 
of  lath  but  much  stronger.  I  use  three  foot  lengths 
for  low  growing  varieties  and  four  foot  ones  for  tall 
growing  varieties.  Dahlias  do  not  require  tall  stakes, 
only  something  to  keep  them  from  falling  over  or 
breaking  off  at  the  base,  when  the  ground  has  be- 
come soft  from  moisture  or  there  are  high  winds. 

I  sharpen  one  end  of  the  stake  and  dip  that  por- 
tion going  into  the  ground  in  Creosote  which  pre- 
serves the  stake  and  acts  as  a  preventative  against 
fungus  growth  which  may  appear  and  spread  to  the 
plants,  doing  them  much  injury.  If  the  prevailing 
winds  'are  from  the  west,  drive  your  stakes  so  they 
will  be  on  the  East  side  of  the  plant,  frequently  they 
become  untied  or  the  string  fails  to  hold,  and  would 
blow  over  but  the  stakes  being  on  the  opposite  side 
hold  them  up. 


The  above  illustration  shows  the  correct  position 
of  the  tuber  in  the  ground  after  it  has  been  planted. 

Line  No.  1  represents  the  surface  of  the  soil  and 
the  space  between  line  No.  1  and  No.  2  represents 
the  depth  of  the  soil,  which  should  be  four  inches 
from  where  the  bud  of  the  tuber  shows  in  line  No.  2. 


Any  strong  twine  can  be  used  to  J:ie  them  to  the 
stakes.  Strips  of  new  muslin  an  inch  wide  are  good 
to  use,  as  they  are  strong  and  being  soft,  do  not  cut 
into  the  plant. 

The  ground  should  be  full  of  moisture  when  the 
planting  is  done,  which  should  be  sufficient  until 
the  dahlias  are  growing  nicely. 

In  sections  where  they  have  the  winter  freezes, 
planting  is  done  as  soon  as  the  soil  has  warmed  up 
in  the  Spring-time,  which  is  usually  in  May.  In 
frostless  sections,  planting  can  be  done  from  Febru- 
ary to  July,  the  extreme  early  planting  being  condi- 
tional upon  the  soil  being  of  a  sandy  nature  with 
good  drainage.  But  heavy  soil  with  poor  drainage, 
will  rot  the  tubers  if  there  are  heavy  rains. 

Where  the  planting  is  done  in  a  dry  climate  after 
the  rains  are  over,  the  air  contains  but  little  mois- 
ture and  the  ground  quickly  dries  out.  When  this  con- 
dition prevails,  there  is  little  or  no  danger  of  their 
decaying  from  too  much  moisture,  in  fact  the  ground 
has  to  be  kept  quite  moist  or  they  will  stand  still 
and  make  no  growth  at  all.  It  is  not  unusual  to 
have  a  dahlia  make  a  few  inches  growth  and  stop. 
This  is  either  due  to  the  tuber  being  in  a  state  of 
decay  or  not  receiving  sufficient  moisture  to  cause 
it  to  put  out  any  root  growth.  If  the  tuber  is  de- 
caying and  is  not  too  far  gone,  cut  off  the  decayed 
portion,  keep  the  tuber  out  of  the  ground  a  day  or 
so  to  let  the  cut  end  dry  off  a  little  and  sear  over, 
which  will  lessen  the  liability  of  its  continuing  to 
decay. 

If  the  tuber  is  sound,  cut  off  what  growth  it 
has  made  to  within  ^  inch  of  the  tuber,  soak  in 


water    for    two    days,    then    replant    and    keep    the 
ground  very  moist. 

This  treatment  has  not  failed  me  in  a  single  in- 
stance. 

One  of  my  patrons  had  one  make  a  growth  of 
about  eight  inches,  then  stop.  At  the  end  of  six 
weeks  from  the  time  of  planting,  he  took  it  up  and 
returned  it  to  me.  I  treated  it  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed and  it  made  one  of  the  finest  plants  I  had 
that  season  and  produced  four  fine  tubers  beside. 
I  had  several  last  season  that  failed  to  start  any 
growth  at  all,  not  even  the  buds.  But  everyone  of 
them  responded  with  the  water  treatment. 

Many  tubers  are  dried  out  but  do  not  show  it  on 
account  of  being  so  fiberous,  that  they  shrivel  very 
little  if  any  at  all. 

During  the  growing  season,  to  the  time  they  com- 
mence to  bloom,  the  soil  must  be  kept  stirred  up  or 
cultivated  to  a  depth  of  at  least  four  inches  but  not 
so  deep  close  up  to  the  plant  or  you  will  ruin  the 
tuber. 

You  can  be  faithful  in  the  use  of  water  and  fer- 
tilizer, but  unless  the  top  soil  is  kept  loose',  your 
dahlias  will  be  but  little  short  of  failures.  As  soon 
after  each  rain  or  watering  that  the  soil  will  work 
up  in  a  mealy  condition,  not  sticky,  stir  it  up.  After 
they  commence  to  bloom  do  not  cultivate  more  than 
two  inches  deep  as  the  ground  is  packed  full  of  little 
fiberous  roots  that  are  gathering  up  the  moisture 
and  plant  food  to  produce  the  bloom  and  keep  the 
plant  growing. 

These    are    the    little    workers    that    must   be    kept 

8 


supplied  or  other  wise,  the  plant  can  not  keep  grow- 
ing and  blooming.  When  the  blooms  begin  to  get 
small,  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  are  not  getting 
enough  water  or  fertilizer,  or  both  are  lacking. 
There  are  those  who  discontinue  cultivating  when 
the  blooming  season  starts,  mulching  with  coarse 
manure  or  something  of  that  nature.  Do  not  let 
the  mulching  come  in  contact  with  the  base  of  the 
plants  as  the  moisture  is  liable  to  bring  on  an  attack 
of  root  Aphis,  causing  the  plants  to  frequently  rot 
off. 

In  a  warm,  dry  climate,  extra  precautions  are 
needed  to  see  that  the  dahlias  do  not  suffer  for  the 
want  of  sufficient  moisture,  both  overhead  and  in 
the  ground. 

Where  the  soil  is  sandy  and  loamy,  does  not  pack 
down  and  dry  out  hard,  overhead  watering  will  do, 
this  has  reference  to  those  sprinklers  that  revolve, 
throwing  the  water  in  large  circles  like  a  gentle  rain. 
It  requires  several  hours  for  the  ground  to  become 
thoroughly  saturated.  The  water  will  not  harm  the 
bloom  with  the  exception  of  some  of  the  white 
varieties.  If  the  ground  is  hard,  some  irrigating 
may  have  to  be  done  in  addition. 

If  the  plants  are  in  rows  dig  a  small  furrow  on 
each  side  of  the  plants,  about  twelve  inches  from 
them  and  let  the  water  run  slowly  in  the  furrows  un- 
til the  ground  is  well  soaked.  As  a  rule  the  ground 
on  the  second  day  after  watering  is  in  good  condi- 
tion for  cultivating.  The  soil  that  I  have  packs 
down  and  I  am  writing  this  from  personal  experi- 
ence. Last  season  I  tried  out  one  of  those  crescent 
lawn  sprinklers;  they  are  about  ten  inches  in  dia- 
meter and  screw  on  to  the  end  of  the  hose,  laying 


flat  on  the  ground.  It  suits  me  better  than  any  other 
way  that  I  know  about,  only  that  it  throws  the 
water  a  little  too  fast  for  the  ground  to  take  up 
readily. 

It  occurred  to  me  to  have  some  of  the  small  holes 
in  the  sprinkler  stopped  up,  shall  try  it  this  season, 
feeling  sure  that  the  defect  will  be  eliminated. 

Overhead  sprinkling  in  a  warm  dry  climate  is  a 
positive  necessity  to  overcome  and  eliminate  dry 
weather  pests,  such  as  Aphis,  Thrips  and  Red  Spider, 
that  if  left  unchecked  will  ruin  the  plants.  I  use  a 
sprinkler  on  the  end  of  my  hose  that  is  of  copper 
or  brass  about  four  inches  in  diameter,  the  shape 
is  similar  to  those  on  watering  cans,  and  as  soon  as 
the  plants  get  to  growing  nicely,  they  get  a  nice 
little  sprinkling  every  other  day  in  the  evening.  Just 
enough  to  thoroughly  wet  the  plants  and  moisten 
the  surface  of  the  ground  a  little.  This  is  in  addi- 
tion to  the  regular  waterings. 

As  to  how  often  to  give  regular  waterings,  the 
nature  of  your  soil,  climatic  conditions  and  the  size 
of  the  plants  will  govern,  for  the  larger  the  plant 
the  more  moisture  it  draws  from  the  ground.  It 
may  be  necessary  to  water  every  five  days,  it  may  be 
two  weeks  or  more.  Whenever  you  see  the  petals 
of  the  bloom  wilting  or  the  soft  stems  with  buds 
on  drooping  or  hanging  down,  water  is  wanted 
right  away.  On  hot  sultry  days  the  foliage  may 
wilt  a  little,  which  does  not  signify  they  are  in  need 
of  moisture. 

In  procuring  dahlias  from  another  section  of  the 
country,  I  try  as  much  as  possible  to  get  two  of 
each  variety,  as  one  of  them  may  for  some  reason 

10 


not  do  well  while  the  other  one  will  come  to  per- 
fection. It  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  dahlias 
going  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  another  to 
make  a  very  poor  showing  the  first  season,  but 
make  good  the  second. 

Never  discard  a  new  variety  until  you  try  it  out 
the  second  time.  It  frequently  occurs  that  a  good 
old  stand  by  that  has  been  a  success  for  several  con- 
tinuous seasons,  will  be  a  failure  this  season  and 
come  back  alright  next  season. 

As  the  season  advances  and  the  days  begin  to 
shorten  and  the  nights  are  getting  cool,  avoid  water- 
ing or  wetting  the  foliage  after  the  noon  hour,  keep- 
ing them  well  trimmed  out  so  the  air  can  circulate 
freely  through  them,  as  they  are  liable  to  mildew. 
If  mildew  makes  its  appearance,  which  shows  on 
the  foliage  at  first  in  little  white  spots  and  will  quick- 
ly cover  the  entire  surface,  destroying  the  foliage  if 
not  checked,  dust  the  plants  with  Sulphur  in  the 
morning  while  they  are  wet  with  dew,  which  will 
cause  the  sulphur  to  adhere  to  the  foliage.  In  dust- 
ing it  on,  I  use  a  flour  sieve.  A  low  grade  of  Sul- 
phur can  be  procured  of  almost  any  dealer  in  com- 
mercial fertilizer  and  is  inexpensive. 

Insect  Pests  and  Diseases. 


Dahlias  have  their  insect  enemies,  the  same  as 
other  plants,  but  fortunately  are  almost  free  from 
disease. 

Insects  that  infect  the  soil  can  be  done  away  with 
in  the  spring  time  before  planting.  After  the  soil 

11 


has  been  prepared,  is  loamy  and  moist  take  a  crow 
bar  or  sharpened  stake  and  drive  into  the  ground 
to  the  depth  of  twelve  inches,  withdraw  the  stake 
without  letting  the  dirt  fall  back  into  the  hole  and 
pour  a  tablespoonful  of  Carbon  Bi-Sulphide  into  the 
hole  and  immediately  close  it  up,  continue  in  this 
manner  until  the  entire  ground  to  be  planted  has 
been  gone  over,  spacing  the  holes  twenty  inches 
apart,  this  forms  a  gas  that  destroys  all  insect 
and  plant  life.  Do  not  get  closer  to  plants 
or  shrubs  than  2  or  2^2  feet.  The  gases  will 
evaporate  in  a  few  hours  and  seems  in  addition 
to  destroying  the  insects  to  have  benefited  the 
soil.  Then  go  ahead  with  your  planting.  When 
early  planting  is  done  and  the  dahlias  have  a  good 
growth  before  the  warm,  dry  weather  comes,  it  is 
seldom  that  the  Aphis,  Thrips  or  Red  Spider  have 
much  of  a  chance  at  them,  but  the  little  overhead 
sprinklings  of  evenings  should  be  done  just  the 
same  during  the  hot,  dry  weather.  Aphis,  Thrips  and 
Red  Spider  the  last  two  named  are  classed  as  mites. 
Thrips  have  long  white  bodies.  The  Red  Spiders 
look  like  little  red  specks  and  can  be  seen  in  motion 
as  a  rule  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves.  Plants 
only  a  few  inches  out  of  the  ground  will  become 
infested  with  them,  working  down  into  the  crowns 
of  the  plants  just  as  fast  as  the  little  leaves  loosen 
up  the  least  bit.  The  foliage  comes  out  stunted  and 
all  wrinkled.  White  and  light  colored  dahlias  being 
more  subject  to  their  attacks. 

To  eradicate  them,  take  the  garden  hose  with  the 
sprinkler  on,  with  the  top  of  the  plant  in  one  hand, 
let  the  water  play  in  the  center  of  the  plant  with 
as  much  force  as  can  be  done  without  bruising  or 
injuring  the  plant,  let  the  hose  play  on  the  underside 
of  the  leaves,  let  the  washing  be  complete.  Do  this 

12 


every  evening  for  several  days  and  it  will  rid  them 
of  the  pests. 

Cut  worms  and  other  insect  pests  often  attack 
the  plant  as  soon  as  it  makes  its  apperance.  I  have 
found  nothing  better  than  dusting  slacked  lime  on 
the  plant.  Nothing  touches  them  and  it  is  harmless 
to  the  plants.  This  can  be  applied  to  other  plants 
as  well  as  dahlias. 

Where  overhead  sprinkling  is  done,  it  is  best  to 
apply  Arsenate  of  Lead  for  the  extermination  of  all 
leaf  eating  insects,  and  can  be  procured  at  any  seed 
store  with  full  directions  as  to  its  use.  It  adheres 
to  the  foliage  even  though  it  rains. 

Ants  are  among  our  worst  pests  in  this  locality, 
or  section.  They  not  only  destroy  the  foliage  but 
eat  holes  into  the  base  of  the  plants  and  work  down 
into  the  ground. 

I  have  tried  out  a  great  many  remedies  but  the 
one  that  has  proven  the  most  effective  with  me,  is 
to  get  some  beef,  boil  until  well  done,  run  it  through 
a  meat  grinder,  making  it  very  fine.  Scatter  some 
of  it  around  where  the  ants  are,  if  possible  locate 
the  ant  hills  and  place  some  there.  This  acts  as  a 
decoy  and  by  the  next  day  it  is  all  cleaned  up  and 
they  are  thoroughly  excited  for  more.  This  time 
add  a  little  Paris  Green  and  distribute  as  before. 
It  is  only  a  few  hours  until  there  is  not  an  ant  to 
be  seen. 

In    this    section,    another   pest   that   usually   shows 

up  about  June  is  the  Rose  Beetle.     They  are  brown 

'in  color,  have  no  wings,  are  about  l/2  inch  in  length, 

with  a  raised  or  oval  back.     Their  presence  is  recog- 

13 


nized  by  the  leaves  or  plants  being  eaten  out  in  little 
round  circles.  They  secrete  themselves  as  a  rule 
during  the  day  on  the  under  side  or  at  the  base  of 
the  leaves. 

Dust  the  foliage  lightly  with  equal  parts  of  lime 
and  Paris  Green,  this  will  make  a  clean  sweep  of 
them. 

For  Aphis  on  plants,  a  nicotine  solution  known  as 
Black  Leaf  40  is  extra  good,  also  procured  at  the 
seed  stores.  In  certain  sections,  the  Gophers  are 
to  be  contended  with.  I  have  the  best  success  with 
the  traps,  observe  where  they  are  working,  dig  back 
into  the  main  passageway,  set  the  traps  opposite  of 
each  other  in  the  main  run,  this  insures  getting  them 
either  coming  or  going.  Stuff  sacking  or  some 
similar  material  into  the  entrance  to  darken  it  and 
its  only  a  couple  of  hours  until  I  have  the  intruder. 
These  traps  are  procured  at  the  seed  stores,  where 
full  information  in  regard  to  them  will  be  given. 

Dahlias  like  potatoes  are  subject  to  scab.  A  good 
preventative  is  to  use  one  fluid  ounce  of  Formal- 
dehyde to  each  two  gallons  of  water,  immerse  the 
tubers  for  two  hours,  then  after  drying  off  a  little, 
plant  them. 

Qettinq  Large  blooms 

This  is  done  by  removing  all  the  side  buds  from 
the  stem,  leaving  the  center  one,  and  if  it  is  a  variety 
that  grows  short  stems  and  many  of  them,  then 
remove  a  portion  of  the  stems. 

Varieties   that   are   large   producers    of   bloom    and 

14 


have  short  stalks  and  stems,  I  remove  one-half  of 
the  side  shoots  from  the  main  stalks  doing  it  as  the 
plant  is  growing.  They  appear  in  pairs  on  each 
side  of  the  stalks.  I  break  one  off  just  as  soon  as 
it  is  far  enough  out  for  me  to  get  hold  of  it,  and 
so  on  up  the  plant  as  they  appear,  working  around 
the  plant  in  a  circle,  which  keeps  the  plant  from 
being  one  sided.  I  do  not  allow  more  than  two 
stalks  to  a  plant  to  grow.  Keep  the  old  and  faded 
bloom  cut  off. 

The  fewer  buds  to  a  plant  the  larger  the  blooms 
and  vice  versa. 

Large  blooms  are  the  poorest  keepers  as  a  rule 
after  being  cut.  The  smaller  the  blooms,  the  better 
they  keep. 

The  best  time  to  cut  the  blooms  is  in  the  cool  of 
the  morning  or  evening.  It  is  best  to  remove  all 
the  foliage,  then  put  the  tip  ends  of  the  stems  (not 
over  an  inch)  in  boiling  water  for  about  a  minute. 
A  shallow  dish  is  best  as  the  steam  from  the  water 
is  not  so  liable  to  come  up  through  the  blooms  and 
spoil  them,  then  into  a  deep  vase  filled  with  cold 
water,  the  nearer  the  water  comes  up  to  the  bloom 
the  better.  Shallow  vases  will  not  do.  If  the  weather 
is  hot  and  sultry,  they  will  last  about  two  days.  If 
cool  they  will  last  for  several,  days.  If  blooms  are 
gathered  within  a  day  after  the  plants  have  been 
watered,  they  will  last  but  a  few  hours,  if  at  all. 


15 


Proper  Care  of  Dahlias  After  the 
"Blooming  Season 

With  the  exception  of  cutting  up  the  clumps  in 
the  spring  time  for  replanting,  here  is  where  the 
uninformed  have  their  greatest  losses  and  failures. 

In  sections  where  the  frost  kills  the  tops,  they 
should  be  cut  off  about  ten  inches  from  the  ground, 
and  taken  up,  which  should  be  done  with  great  care 
in  order  not  to  break  the  necks  of  the  tubers  from 
the  main  stalks.  At  the  time  they  are  dug  up  the 
ground  should  be  very  moist  but  not  sticky.  A 
spading  fork  is  best  to  use  in  raising  them.  Push 
the  fork  into  the  ground  as  far  as  it  will  go,  not  less 
than  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  from  the  plant,  then 
gently  pry  up  a  little  ways,  this  will  loosen  or  sever 
the  roots  from  the  tubers  that  may  run  off  into  the 
ground  for  quite  a  ways. 

Work  clear  around  the  plant  in  this  manner. 
Then  get  your  fork  deep  down  under  the  clump. 
By  the  way  remove  all  the  dirt  you  can  from  the 
top  of  the  clump,  for  the  weight  of  this  dirt  fre- 
quently breaks  the  tubers  loose  from  those  varieties, 
which  are  usually  the  Cactus  and  Hybrid  Cactus 
types,  the  necks  being  long  and  slender.  Take  hold 
of  the  stump  with  one  hand  to  steady,  it  and  push 
down  on  the  handle  of  the  fork  with  the  other  hand, 
raising  the  clump  out  of  the  ground. 

If  all  the  dirt  should  fall  away  from  the  tubers 
carefully  place  the  clump  on  the  ground.  It  fre- 
quently occurs  that  to  let  the  clump  sit  flat  on  the 
ground  will  cause  the  neck  of  some  of  the  tubers 

16 


to  break.     By  placing  something  on   the  under  side 
for  it  to   rest  upon   prevents  them   from  breaking. 

Under  no  circumstances  shake  the  dirt  out.  It 
is  better  that  it  should  adhere  to  the  tubers  if  it 
will;  it  helps  to  keep  the  tubers  from  drying  out 
during  the  winter  and  acts  as  a  brace  to  them  in  the 
handling.  Let  them  dry  off  for  a  day  or  so,  then 
store  away  in  the  basement  for  the  winter  with  a 
covering  of  dry  dirt. 

In  sections  that  are  frostless  and  have  no  freezing 
weather,  the  treatment  is  altogether  different.  Let 
the  tops  die  down  as  much  as  possible  if  you  can 
before  taking  them  up.  Cut  them  back  to  within 
ten  inches  of  the  ground.  As  the  stalks  are  hollow, 
this  leaves  an  opening  into  which  the  water  from 
the  winter  rains  can  readily  run  down  to  the  base  of 
the  inside  of  the  stalk,  and  unless  it  can  very  readily 
seep  out  will  rot  the  base  of  the  stalk  where  the 
buds  are  located,  causing  much  damage  and  often 
times  the  loss  of  the  entire  clump.  Tie  a  thick  piece 
of  paper  or  anything  that  will  turn  the  water,  over 
these  openings. 

Take  them  up  in  the  manner  already  described, 
leaving  all  the  dirt  on  that  will  adhere  to  them, 
select  a  shady  place  under  a  tree,  shrub  or  anywhere 
out  of  the  way,  just  so  it  is  cool  and  shady.  Care- 
fully place  them  in  such  a  manner  that  you  can  work 
fine  dirt  in  and  all  around  them,  no  farther  up 
around  the  stalks  than  to  cover  the  tubers  nicely. 
The  winter  rains  will  not  do  any  harm  but  will  be 
a  benefit.  It  is  highly  important  that  there  be  no 
vacant  places  left  in  and  around  the  clumps  as  it 
makes  a  harboring  place  for  injurious  insects  and 
may  cause  fungus  growth  to  appear  on  the  tubers 

17 


that  is  highly  injurious.  Where  the  soil  is  sandy 
and  has  good  drainage,  it  is  not  necessary  to  take 
them  up  until  spring  for  replanting,  but  where  the 
soil'  is  heavy  and  has  poor  drainage1,  it  is  imperative 
that  they  be  taken  up  or  the  winter  rains  will  cause 
them  to  decay.  If  those  that  are  left  in  the  ground 
should  start  to  grow  during  the  winter  months,  then 
it  will  be  necessary  to  take  them  up. 

Diuiding  the  Tubers  for  Replanting 

I  would  first  call  attention  to  the  illustration  of 
the  dahlia  tubers  on  page  19.  One  has  what  looks 
like  a  knot  on  the  end  of  it  with  a  small  projection 
on  it.  This  is  the  part  that  was  cut  from  the  base 
of  the  old  stalk  and  the  little  projection  is  the  bud 
pushing  out.  The  other  tuber  has  no  such  knob  on 
the  end,  but  was  broken  loose  from  the  clump,  and 
having  no  eyes  or  buds  in  the  tuber  makes  it  worth- 
less. It  will  start  a  few  roots  but  no  other  growth. 
If  it  had  a  piece  of  the  base  of  the  stalk  to  it  and 
should  happen  to  get  the  neck  broken,  so  that  the 
sap  can  not  flow  from  the  tuber  to  the  bud,  it  will 
not  grow. 

Before  dividing  your  dahlia  clumps,  it  is  best  to 
wait  until  the  buds  begin  to  push  out  so  that  you 
can  see  where  to  cut  through.  There  may  be  two 
tubers  that  have  grown  close  together  and  the  bud 
shows  up  between  them.  In  that  case  cut  out  the 
two  tubers  together,  leaving  them  attached.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  divide  down  to  only  one  tuber. 
Two  tubers  attached,  with  one  or  two  good  buds 
makes  no  difference.  When  ready  to  make  the  di- 
visions for  those  clumps  that  retained  the  soil  take 

18 


19 


a  hammer,  and  holding  the  clump  firmly  in  one  hand 
hold  it  so  that  it  just  clears  the  ground  the  least  bit. 
But  if  the  tubers  are  long  and  slender,  do  not  raise 
clear  off  the  ground,  as  their  own  weight  is  the  cause 
of  many  of  them  breaking  their  necks. 

Tap  the  base  of  the  stalk  with  the  hammer  far 
enough  above  the  buds  not  to  bruise  or  injure  them. 
It  will  be  surprising  to  see  the  dirt  let  loose  and 
tumble  out  from  among  the  tubers,  doing  no  harm 
if  the  tapping  is  not  done  too  hard.  Wash  all  the 
clumps  off  nice  and  clean  with  the  garden  hose',  care 
being  taken  not  to  let  the  water  play  with  too  much 
force,  as  it  would  knock  off  the  buds  or  the  skin 
from  the  tubers. 

After  they  have  dried  off  nicely,  proceed  as  follows. 
Have  a  bench,  old  table,  anything  on  which  one 
can  work.  For  those  clumps  that  can  not  be  al- 
lowed to  sit  down  flat,  I  have  a  small  block  about 
four  inches  square  and  two  inches  thick.  Then 
place  a  piece  of  old  sacking  of  three  or  four  ply 
over  the  block,  this  prevents  the  block  from  bruis- 
ing or  skinning  the  tubers.  Place  the  clump  on  the 
block  and  proceed  to  divide  it. 

There  is  nothing  better  than  a  key  hole  saw,  where 
a  saw  is  necessary,  when  the  stalk  is  too  hard  and 
fiberous  for  a  knife  to  cut  in.  The  blade  is  very 
narrow,  which  enables  one  to  get  in  between  the 
tubers.  This  saw  can  be  procured  at  almost  any 
hardware  store.  It  is  necessary  to  have  it  refiled 
into  a  cut  off  saw.  Saw  off  the  old  stalk  as  close 
as  you  can  to  the  tubers,  not  below  any  buds.  If 
the  wood  is  too  hard  to  cut  with  a  knife,  then  it  will 
be  necessary  to  saw  down  through  the  center  of  the 
stalk,  keeping  clear  of  the  buds.  If  there  are  a 

20 


large  number  of  tubers  attached  to  the  stalk,  you 
are  going  to  lose  some  of  them  for  there  will  not 
be  enough  of  the  stalk  to  go  round.  There  may  be 
as  many  as  a  dozen  tubers  on  the  entire  stalk,  and 
the  stalk  have  only  two  or  three  buds,  that  are  cut 
out  of  the  clump  with  the  tubers  that  are  the  nearest 
to  them,  the  remaining  tubers  having  to  be  discarded. 
Then  again  it  will  be  right  the  reverse.  After  sawing 
through,  then  proceed  with  the  knife,  which  should 
be  kept  sharp  and  have  a  thin  blade,  something  a 
little  better  than  a  potato  knife,  though  a  potato 
knife  docs  nicely. 

In  using  either  the  saw  or  the  knife,  never  cut  in 
and  attempt  to  pry  them  apart  as  this  will  bruise 
them  and  cause  decay. 

If  you  are  not  prepared  to  do  your  planting  at 
the  time  you  make  the  division  pack  the  tubers 
away  in  dry  dirt,  sand  or  shavings  storing  in  a  cool 
place.  It  is  important  that  this  be  done,  for  after 
the  tubers  have  been  cut,  they  will  dry  out  very 
quickly  if  left  in  the  open  air. 

I  get  quite  a  number  of  small  tubers  from  two 
to  three  inches  long  that  I  put  into  pots.  Give  them 
one  good  watering,  putting  them  to  one  side,  giving 
no  more  water  until  I  am  ready  for  them  to  grow. 
When  they  are  about  eight  inches  high,  I  plant  out. 
in  the  open.  They  make  just  as  good  plants  and 
tubers  as  the  large  ones  do. 

Very  large  tubers  will  make  but  few  if  any  new 
tubers  at  all.  It  is  best  to  cut  the  lower  portion  off 
from  a  third  to  one-half,  depending  on  the  size  of 
the  tuber. 


21 


The  key  hole  saw,  used  in  dividing  the  tubers 
makes  one  of  the  best  little  general  purpose  tools 
I  ever  had,  especially  in  the  pruning  of  trees,  shrubs 
and  vines,  the.  narrow  blade  enabling  one  to  work 
anywhere. 

When  dahlias  are  put  awray  for  the  winter,  extreme 
care  should  be  taken  to  guard  them  from  rats  and 
mice.  Also  if  stored  in  a  basement,  do  not  put  them 
near  the  furnace. 

In  sections  where  the  rains  and  summer  showers 
come,  it  will  prove  injurious  to  do  any  irrigating,  as 
it  causes  the  plants  to  make  roots  near  the  surface 
and  when  those  hot  August  days  come,  the  roots 
will  burn  up. 

Again  the  tops  may  become  diseased  and  make  a 
sickly  growth.  Do  not  loose  any  time  looking  at 
them  and  wrondering  what  to  do,  but  cut  them  off 
close  to  the  ground  and  the  chances  are  they  will 
come  along  all  right. 


Following  is  the  Standard  or  scale  of  points  used 
by  the  Dahlia  Society  of  California  at  their  Trial 
Gardens  at  San  Rafael,  California. 

Color     25 

Stem    25 

Formation     20 

Size     15 

Productiveness     15 

Total     100 

22 


Following  is  the  scale  of  points  used  by  the  Amer- 
ican Dahlia  Society  in  making  awards  at  the  Trial 
Garden  at  the  Connecticut  Agricultural  College, 
Storrs,  Conn. 

Exhibition   Varieties 

Color     20 

Stem    and    Foliage 25 

Substance     15 

Form 20 

Size    .  ..20 


100 
Commerical  Varieties 

Color 20 

Stem    and    Foliage 25 

Substance    25 

Form 10 

Floriferousness    10 

Size    10 

100 


23 


'Gardening 

in  Southern 

California' 

Written  especially  for  the  home  flower  and 
vegetable  garden.  How  to  prepare  the  soil, 
fertilize,  plant  and  irrigate.  Treats  especially 
of  rose  and  dahlia  culture,  these  two  items  alone 
being  worth  the  price  of  the  booklet.  Has  a 
planting  calendar  for  every  month  in  the  year 
for  flowers  and  vegetables. 

Price,  50  cents. 

Written  and  published  by 

H.  E.  SIES, 

Point  Loma,  California 


24 


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